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The Board

CNCS Board of Directors 2017-2018

Kuana "Nikki" Burriss

President and Chair of Governance

Kuana Holley-Burris is originally from Northern Virginia. Despite being in the Baltimore area for almost 20 years, she still considers herself a Virginia girl stuck in a Maryland world. Kuana and her family have been a part of the City Neighbors community since Opening Day. Her eldest child was a part of the very first CNCS graduating class! She currently has one child attending City Neighbors Charter School. Previously, Kuana has served on the Board as the Director of Accountability. Always excited to serve City Neighbors, Mrs. Holley-Burris is currently the Vice President of the Board, and the Director of Diversity and Inclusion. Kuana is a proud alumni of Baltimore City Community College and Morgan State University. Kuana, her husband, Ben, and their 3 children reside in the Waltherson neighborhood.

Liz Zogby

Vice President and Director of Inclusion and Accountability Committee

Liz Zogby and her family have been part of the City Neighbors community for 10 years. She has a 2016 graduate, and two current students: a 7th grader and a 1st grader. Liz has been a long-standing member of the Governance Committee and the Diversity & Inclusion Committee, and previously served on the Board of Directors as Director of Accountability. She is pleased to return to the board as Vice President and Chair of the Diversity & Inclusion Committee. Originally from Washington DC, Liz lived in Philadelphia while completing a master’s degree in Library and Information Science and has lived in Baltimore with her husband Greg, an archaeologist, since 2003. In addition to her work as a freelance researcher, writer, and data analyst, Liz volunteers for the local Down syndrome organization and enjoys cooking, reading, and traveling.

Charlotte Saylor

Director of Family Participation

Charlotte Saylor grew up in the greater Baltimore Washington area. She attended McDaniel College where she majored in Biology and Chemistry/Exercise Science and was an active member of Phi Mu Fraternity. She earned a Masters in Biology from Towson University and taught high school for several years for the Ingenuity Project at Baltimore Polytechnic Institute. She currently works at Towson University as a biology instructor and academic advisor for incoming transfer students. Charlotte recently joined the City Neighbors Charter School Board as the Chair of the Family Partnership Committee. She lives in the Westfield subdivision of Hamilton with her two elementary aged sons.

Jenifer Agnes

Treasurer and Director of the Finance Committee

Jenifer Agnes has owned and run a small business with her husband for the last 13 years. She is currently enrolled at the University of Baltimore pursuing a degree in Business Administration with a specialty in Human Resource Management. Jenifer has 3 children and has been an active parent at City Neighbors for 6 years.

Winifred A. Winston

Secretary and Director of the Communication Committee

Winifred A. Winston is originally from Brooklyn, New York. However, she arrived in Baltimore, Maryland by way of North Carolina and embraces her southern roots. Winifred and her family are new to City Neighbors and her daughter Logan just completed first grade. As a city resident committed to service, she also serves on GEDCO’s Community Service Committee, is a Board Member of the Morgan Community Mile, and recently accepted the Presidential Appointment as a Selective Service Board Member for the state of Maryland. Winifred holds a Master of Science in Human Resource Development from Towson University and a Bachelor of Science in Mass Communications from the University of North Carolina at Pembroke. Winifred and her family reside in the Ramblewood neighborhood.

Stanlee Brown

Director of Facility and Chair of the Building Committee

Stanley Brown is originally from New Jersey but came to Baltimore as a child. Stanley and his family of six have been a part of the City Neighbors community since 2006. Stan brings his expertise to City Neighbors as a Master Plumber, and has organized many successful volunteer work days. His vision for the facility includes safety, beauty, and functionality. Stan’s oldest son graduated in 2014 and is now attending City Neighbors High School, his other three children are currently attending City Neighbors Charter School. His favorite pastime is creating music. Stan is a Master Plumber and Gas Fitter and presently works as a Master plumber for Blue Dot. Stan, his wife Adilah (a teaching Fellow at City Neighbors), and their four children live in the Cedonia neighborhood.

Elizabeth Sterner

Director of Community Relations Committee

Elizabeth Sterner, a traveler at heart. She has made roots in Baltimore and receives great joy out of watching the city grow and blossom. Charm city is a great place to grow up! She joined the CNCS family in 2014 when her daughter entered kindergarten. Currently, she is on the adjunct faculty at Howard Community College teaching adult sewing classes. She has a background in the city arts scene having worked for Baltimore School for the Arts, music studio Clean Cuts Music in Hamden, and showing her work in local art shows. She is dedicated to CNCS growing in their community in the school and out in the city. Along with heading up the Community Relations Committee, she often runs an after school club. She lives with her husband and two children in Glenham-Belhar.

Rob Hatch

Director of Fundraising Committee

Rob Hatch joins the Board this year as Director of the Fundraising Committee. Hatch moved to Baltimore in 2005 and joined the CNCS family in 2014 when his son entered kindergarten. Mr. Hatch is a film & video professional primarily working as a video camera operator for multi-camera shoots and he also produces film festivals in Portland OR and Baltimore, MD. Since moving to Baltimore, he has been involved in the Kinetic Sculpture Race, performed in water ballets, curated an Edgar Allan Poe Film Festival for the BMA, and founded the Baltimore 48 Hour Film Project. He received his Master of Arts from the American University and his B.A. from James Madison University.

Jessica Kohnen

Director of the Classroom Parent Committee

Jessica Kohnen has been working in the non-profit sector for nearly two decades, with a consistent focus on improving the health and well-being of vulnerable populations. Jessica has led two non-profit organizations, Evergreen Health Care and Playworks Baltimore, in the role of Executive Director, and has held a number of other roles in various nonprofits, including Baltimore’s Safe and Sound Campaign, the Family League of Baltimore, and the Annie E. Casey Foundation. Jessica has a Bachelor of Arts in Urban Studies from Vassar College, and a Master of Public Administration in Nonprofit Management from the Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service at New York University. Jessica’s son, Patrick, is a 7th grader at City Neighbors Charter School – the 2016-17 school year is his 6th year at the school. Jessica serves on the board of CNCS as the Director of the Classroom Parent Committee and also serves on the fundraising committee. She also actively participates in volunteer fundraising each year via a 140-mile weekend bike ride for Moveable Feast. Jessica lives with her family in Oakenshawe.

TBD

Teacher Representative

TBD

Student Council President

Kate Seidl

Principal

Kate Seidl has been a progressive educator for more than 25 years and will continue in that tradition as principal. Kate arrived at City Neighbors in 2006, hired by the founding teachers as the Reading Specialist and Librarian. In the decade that followed, she collaborated with all staff to foster excellent teaching and learning of reading and writing and also served on dozens of committees as parent and teacher, helping to co-create the City Neighbors Charter School model as it stands today. Kate has a BA from Brown University and Master's degree from Bank Street College of Education. She is a certified special educator and is enrolled at Johns Hopkins University for coursework in School Administration and Supervision.

Bobbi Macdonald

Executive Director, City Neighbors Foundation

Bobbi serves as the founding Executive Director of the City Neighbors Foundation. The City Neighbors Foundation operates the City Neighbors Network of schools in Baltimore City, and is dedicated to the transformation of public education in Baltimore. In this role, Bobbi is responsible for maintaining a strong stance and vision of schools where every student is “Known, Loved, and Inspired.” Bobbi provides educational leadership, facility design, development and finance, family engagement design and structures, governance and building community partnerships. Previously, Bobbi served on Head Start’s Literacy Initiative, working with teachers and families. Bobbi taught early childhood and Kindergarten in university Lab Schools for six years. Bobbi is a Fellow of the Annie E. Casey Foundation, and serves on the Board of Directors of Hamilton Bank and is a founding member of the Coalition for Diverse Charter Schools. She lives in Baltimore City with her husband and three children. She received her Bachelor's Degree from the University of Illinois in Human Development and Family Ecology, and holds a Master’s Degree from the University of Maryland, College Park, in Curriculum and Instruction.

Mike Chalupa

Academic Director, City Neighbors Foundation

Mr. Chalupa serves as the Academic Director of all three City Neighbors Schools. Recently he served as the school leader of City Neighbors Charter School for eight years where he served to create an environment rooted in the vision and mission. Mike’s work included educational leadership, staff evaluation, hiring, curriculum development, facilitating collaboration, solidifying administrative and policy structures, and serving as the primary liaison with central bureaucracy. Prior to serving as the Principal of City Neighbors Charter School and Academic Director for the City Neighbors Foundation Mr. Chalupa served as the Executive Director of the GreenMount School from 2000 – 2005 and Dean of Students for St. John’s Episcopal school from 1996 – 2000. Mr. Chalupa has also served as a classroom instructor and program coordinator. Mr. Chalupa has earned his MA of Education from the Harvard Graduate School of Education and his BA of Arts in English and History from Georgetown University graduating magna cum laude. He is also the parent of three children.